


A Frat Kinda Life

by The_Fic_Bot_TM



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 08:31:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Fic_Bot_TM/pseuds/The_Fic_Bot_TM
Summary: Nick is a College Freshman, out to explore the world and his sexuality.Ratings and tags will be updated as we go.
Relationships: Nick Stokes/OFC
Comments: 31
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [panchostokes (badwolfrun)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfrun/gifts), [deltajackdalton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/deltajackdalton/gifts).



The music was buzzing loud and the crowd was going wild, girls were dancing around the halls in their bras, guys had gone shirtless. The floor was littered in plastic cups and empty chips bags. It was wild and chaotic and thanks to a solid number of beers also a little fuzzed out. This was it: The freedom Nick had dreamed of since he was in high school. Far away from home, rules and responsibilities, from bad memories and restrictive expectations. This was the frat life. 

He chugged another shot his buddy Devon handed him before tumbling off behind some girl, making Nick grin and holler after him. Excitement bubbled inside his stomach, along with the many drinks. It wasn’t his first time drinking and he’d snuck off to several parties back at home but this was the first time he didn’t have to worry about sneaking past his parents. He could just crawl back into his room whenever he saw fit. Which wasn’t going to be anytime soon, he resolved grinning wide.

A girl had caught his eyes earlier but when he made the decision to go talk to her he found her talking to some guy, who had his hands all over her within minutes. Tough luck. There were plenty more cute girls around. Cute guys, too, a voice whispered in his ear, making him clench his jaw and take another long swig from his beer. Scanning the sea of partying people he singled out a red haired girl who stood alone by the punch bowl.

“This stuff any good?” he asked coversationally, throwing her a mischievous smile. The girl just shrugged but returned the smile, obviously liking what she saw. Or maybe she was just really drunk, Nick assessed when the smile turned into an unfocussed grin and before he knew it a pair of lips pressed wetly against his. He responded solely on reflex but the part of his brain that was still operating told him to pull back. “You alright there?” he chuckled lightly, “You kind tripped into my face.”

The dazed look he received told him that she hadn’t even registered the joke. “Hey, what’s your name?” he asked, his manners kicking in and switching him from party mode to worry. “Joanne,” the girl slurred and swayed against him, hugging his waist as if they’d known each other for long. “Look, Joanne,” he said and snaked his arm under hers to support her slumping weight. “Where’s your room? I’ma take you home, yeah?” Joanne did point in a vague direction but wasn’t really helpful otherwise. 

Nick briefly wondered why he bothered but the answer was obvious: There was no way he’d leave a girl this drunk and helpless out there to the wolfpack of frat boys. For lack of a better idea he decided to take her to a place he knew was safe - his room. The journey was slow and Joanne kept swaying and tripping but eventually they made it to their destination. By the time the door closed behind them Joanne was sagging heavily against his shoulder, eyes closed and unresponsive.

Nick steeled himself and then gently picked her up and deposited her in his bed. He thought about removing her jeans for comfort but decided that probably wasn't appropriate at all. So he just took off her shoes and covered her in a blanket before sliding down the opposite wall with his arms resting on his knees. “Oh Pancho, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?” he heard his father’s voice echo through his mind – his standard response to most anything Nick did.

So much for his first frat party. He could still hear the thrum of music and drunken hollering through the door. A part of him wanted to go back, enjoy himself, but the responsible side of him told him to keep an eye on the girl in his bed. He truly believed Devon was a nice guy but who knew what would happen if he came back to their room and find a girl alone in there. Nick had heard enough stories and he wasn’t going to be responsible for anything like that. He'd always have the next party.


	2. Chapter 2

Nick woke with a dull throb in his head and a very uncomfortable ache in his neck and lower back. He groaned and rolled over, his hand hitting the wooden frame of his bed before his brain caught up to where he was. Rubbing at his eyes he slowly began to piece the fragments of the evening together. And then it hit him why he had woken on the floor: his bed was still occupied by a sprawled out girl he didn’t know anything about but her name.

It took more effort than he cared to admit to heave himself up and stumble to the electric kettle he kept on his desk for emergencies such as this, but within a minute he was stirring a cup of instant coffee in his hands. He was grateful to note the second bed in the room was empty, but sent a silent prayer that Devon had scored with some chick and wasn’t passed out somewhere in the hallways. He couldn’t afford to worry about more than one person at a time.

A weary groan alerted him to his guest waking up and he flashed her a teasing smile as soon as she opened her eyes. “Coffee?” he offered, his rough voice not quite as cheerful as intended. “Urgh,” was the only reply he got. Her panicked expression told him the rest. “Joanne, right?” he asked in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. “I’m Nick, I don’t think we’ve reached that point last night.” Joanne paled and nodded numbly. “Oh my god,” she whispered, over and over.

“I uh, dunno what you remember but please believe me nothing happened between us, ok? I didn’t touch you, I swear.” Nick wondered if that was what jerks said. “Look, all I did was take off your shoes and put you to bed.” The mortified look on Joanne’s face intensified with each word. He quickly fixed her a coffee, even though she hadn’t answered that question, and continued a little slower. “See, I woulda taken you to your room but…” he trailed off when she didn’t seem to follow. “You alright?”

Joanne looked about ready to cry when he handed her the cup but accepted it with a small smile. Nick chided himself for thinking she looked adorable, wrapped protectively into his blanket, a mess of hair framing her face. “God,” she finally rasped out, once she’d downed a generous gulp of hot dark liquid, “what the hell?” Nick pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. “Your first frat party?” he asked, hoping to lighten the mood. She nodded, color tingeing her cheeks. “God, I feel so stupid.”

“Don’t fret it, no harm done,” Nick offered and carefully sat on the edge of his bed, making sure to leave a respectable distance. “You sure?” Joanne asked. “Well, you kinda kissed me but if you don’t remember it we can just pretend that never happened.” “I… oh my god,” Joanne hung her head, looking full of shame. Instinct made Nick want to reach out to her but he balled his hand into a fist and just repeated his earlier words, “No harm done, really. Don’t beat yourself up over this.” 

“I should leave.” Joanne set her empty cup aside and awkwardly peeled out of the blanket. Nick slid her shoes over to her and watched her put them on. “You sure you okay?” he asked when he saw her struggle with the laces. “Yeah, thanks.” She stood up and looked at him for the first time that morning. “Seriously, thank you. You’re a nice guy… Nick.” He shrugged, swallowing the ache that caused in his neck muscles. “Just be sure to take better care of yourself next time, in case I’m not around.”

“Hey uh,” Joanne began, one hand on the doorknob, the other combing through her tangled hair, “If there’s anything I can do to repay the favor,” she offered with a shy smile that could or couldn’t have been flirtatious. Nick shook his head. “That’s not what I brought you back here for,” he quickly pointed out but the way she bit her lip and furrowed her brows put an involuntary grin on his face. “But if you really want to you can let me buy you coffee. The real stuff.” He smiled when she agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

One coffee date led to another and the next time Joanne pressed her lips against Nick’s there was no inner voice telling him to stop. It wasn’t how Nick had expected his first weeks at Texas A&M to go but he found he didn’t mind at all having a girlfriend to share the adventure with. Being with Joanne was nothing like the excitement he had expected college dating life to be, instead it was simply smooth. It felt more comfortable than he ever thought it would.

Never had he met a girl he could just be himself with. Goof off when he felt silly, get cranky when he was in a mood, and most of all, talk to about whatever crossed his mind. Alright, so there were limits, secrets Nick would never tell a single soul, but those were few. What mattered was Joanne cared. He didn’t feel like he had to play a role with her. He’d heard so much about how girls expected boys to be a certain way, but none of that held true with Joanne. She just wanted him to be Nick.

He’d never felt this way before. And then there was the matter of sex – he’d always been a bit of an overachiever, possibly owed to the fact that he was, initially, a late bloomer. He’d tried to make up for his lack of experience with an extra dose of faux confidence and ambition. But sex with Joanne wasn’t a competition, he had nothing to prove. For the first time in his admittedly short but no less illustrious experience sex was just simple and relaxed. It was comfortable, spontaneous and fun. 

It hadn’t even been three months but Nick had settled into a familiar routine. Baseball practice and college classes kept him on his toes but he did manage to find enough time to divide between Joanne and his growing circle of friends. Life was good.

“What’s with that stupid grin, Loverboy?” Devon teased him, not for the first time, and sent a pillow flying his way. Nick caught it on instinct and flung it right back at his roommate. “Shut up,” he grumbled, but kept the smile on his face.

As if on cue a knock on the door interrupted their banter and Nick jumped up just as the pillow flew his way again. The door wasn’t locked but Nick went to open it anyway, greeting Joanne with a kiss before pulling her in by the hand. 

“Lookin’ good,” he told her with a sly smile, causing her to roll her eyes. “I haven’t even changed,” she stated matter-of-factly. “I know,” Nick grinned. He remembered the plain shirt and jeans from their lunch date in the dining hall. “You always look good.” 

Next to them Devon groaned. “You guys are awful,” he stated and bent over to reach under his bed, pulling out a sixpack. “If you tone it down I’m willing to share.” Joanne flashed him a wide grin and held her hands out. It had become a habit for the three of them to share drinks before they’d make it to the party of the day. Despite the teasing Nick knew that Devon really liked Joanne. He even felt a little proud that his buddy treated her like one of the guys – that meant a lot among frat boys.

-.-.-

Perched on a two-seater in the frat lounge Nick leaned back and watched the party people around them. Joanne was tipsily splayed across his lap, laughing at the drinking contest going down a few feet away from them. Nick reveled in the fact that they both preferred the observer roles to being in the middle of the action. It often led them to making up stories, guessing other’s actions, motives and destinations while analyzing their appearance and behavior.

These little games they played also included rating their peer’s levels of attractiveness. Checking out others had nothing to do with their attraction to one another, it was just a fun thing to take note of. And they were surprisingly in tune with their taste in both girls and guys. Not that Nick had taste in guys. He was merely objectively judging their appeal, there really was nothing to it. 

“Oh my god, there’s Dana Lowell,” Joanne suddenly exclaimed in a loud whisper, while tugging at Nick’s arm. “She’s definitely a ten!” Nick’s head whipped up. 

“Don’t stare,” Joanne admonished, pulling herself into a sitting position. “Definite ten, huh?” Nick grinned once his eyes were done roaming the girl in question and returned to his girlfriend. “You’re a ten, babe. She’s a nine at best.” 

Joanne huffed but blushed a little. “Stop it with the sweet talkin’. That girl is a fantasy come true.”

Nick raised his brows. “I don’t think I ever heard you talk like that about anyone.” Joanne bit her lips and shrugged. “We talk like this all the time,” she said. 

“Nope. We don’t,” Nick argued and then a thought popped up in his head. “You got a thing for her?” He asked, more amused than threatened, even though the idea set off a strange churning sensation deep in his stomach. “I got a thing for you!” Joanne answered defensively and pressed a hard kiss to his lips for emphasis.

He was about to argue but Joanne’s tongue slipping into his mouth made it difficult to keep a straight thought. “Let’s go back to your room while Devon’s still out making an ass of himself,” Joanne whispered against his lips, wiping away any last remnants of doubt. With a grin Nick slipped his hands beneath her thighs and stood, picking her up with him. Joanne let out a squeal and wrapped herself around him, holding on tight until they reached the door to his room.

-.-.-

“Nick?” The sound of his name brought him out of his post orgasmic daze. “Hm?” he mumbled, hugging Joanne a little tighter to him. “What you said earlier… about Dana…” He couldn't shake the impression that she sounded nervous.

“That she’s a nine?” he offered, hoping to set a light tone. Joanne tensed in his arms. “No. That… if I have… a thing for her.” That anxious churning from earlier returned. “Yeah?” he breathed out. “What if I did?” Oh. Nick licked his lips as he pulled back to look at her.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Joanne’s eyes widened and she quickly reached out for his arm. “No! No way!” She hastily blurted out. Nick’s heart was beating too fast and he wasn’t yet fully reassured but tried to give her time to explain. “I guess, I just…” Joanne shrugged and chewed on her bottom lip, “I’ve had fantasies, you know? About girls. About her.” He nodded quietly. 

“Do you think that’s weird?” His reply came automatically, “No.” A small smile played at Joanne’s lips, “Really?”

Nick closed his eyes for a moment, trying to process the ongoing conversation. “There’s something really hot about the idea of two girls…” his college boy brain provided. “Oh god,” Joanne moaned, “don’t be like that!” Nick shot her a sheepish grin. “Sorry.” 

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Joanne mused as she sank deeper into the pillow and rolled her eyes. “No, no you should.” Nick paused to collect his thoughts. “I’m just not sure what to do with this information, y’know?” he told her honestly.

She took a moment to think about that before speaking up again, “Me neither. I guess I just wanted you to know, is all.” His mind was still spinning in circles when Joanne sat up and pulled her shirt back over her head. 

“I thought you’d stay?” He asked, disappointment written all over his face. Joanne turned and leaned down to him for a sweet, reassuring kiss. “Course I’ll stay,” she said softly, “But I won’t flash Dev with my boobs when he gets back.” Relieved, Nick chuckled and pulled her close.


	4. Chapter 4

“Jo?” Nick asked softly between kisses and nips to Joanne’s throat. She mumbled back an absent reply. His stomach was twisting into knots, he’d been thinking about bringing the topic up again but wasn’t sure if this would be the right time and place. Then again, if he was right, things could turn pretty interesting from here on. “Are you thinking about her?” He’d been mulling over it for a week and now it was out in a second. “What?” she panted into the otherwise quiet of her room.

“Are you thinking about her, like now?” His insides fluttered unpleasantly, making him think he’d made a mistake. Joanne’s “no,” came out with significant delay. He pulled back a little to catch her eyes and found her expression unreadable. He couldn’t make out much in the semi dark but he imagined a blush creeping into her cheeks. “I wouldn’t mind…” his voice was gruff to the point of giving out, his nerves much more jittery than he had hoped. In his fantasy he’d been a lot more suave. 

The insinuation seemed to reach her though, judging by the hitch in her breathing. His heart hammered fast when he felt both of Joanne’s hands at the back of his neck, pulling him close to her mouth. “Are you saying you want me to?” she asked tentatively. He licked his lips before nodding. “You said you’d done it before,” he said softly, his tone almost a question. “Not when I was with you…” she trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air between them. Nick took a deep breath.

Slowly he let his hand roam all the way up her side, eyes following its path before he trained his gaze back to her face. She looked at him expectantly and his tongue involuntarily darted across his lips again. “Do you want to?” he asked, his breath already heavy with arousal. Joanne took her time to nod, deliberate and firm. “Close your eyes,” he whispered against her lips before he covered them with his own. The kiss was soft and slow, more intimate somehow than any kiss they’d shared before.

His skin was crawling with heat when Joanne moaned into his mouth. He allowed himself another swipe of the tongue, taking the taste of her lips with him as he pulled away from her and shifted his body down so his growing arousal wouldn’t press into her and ruin the fantasy before it even blossomed. He moved his mouth to her neck again, licking and sucking at the soft, salty skin. Joanne moaned again, her body wriggling beneath him as she shifted to make more room for his head.

Her little sounds spurred him on, prompting him to suck on her neck just a little bit harder. He was breathing in her scent, the sharp inhales and exhales the only sounds he dared to make. Pulling back slightly he propped himself onto his arm, hand gently carding through Joanne’s hair while he took in the sight of her, glistening in the sparse lightning that came in from the campus lights outside. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, but kept quiet so she could live out her own scenario.

When his hands touched her chest, gently trailing patterns across smooth skin, he tried to picture it, too. He imagined Dana hovering above Joanne in his place – thumb grazing a nipple, fingers dancing from mole to mole, tongue darting out to gently lick the salt off her skin. He bit down a growl, breathing sharply instead. He’d never thought about sharing his girlfriend with anyone, but the idea of another girl doing these things to her made his skin itch in the best possible way. 

Joanne arched up into his face the moment he dipped his tongue into her belly button, sputtering and mumbling incoherent noises of pleasure. He let his hands slide down her sides until he reached the hem of her panties. The pulsing ache between his legs told him to go ahead and rip them off but he managed to keep his cool, if barely. The scent of Joanne’s arousal was intoxicating and he felt heat beneath his fingertips when he brushed across the thin fabric of her underwear.

Joanne’s hips shot up and he met her half way, kissing her through the thin material. Despite the fuzz of cotton on his tongue he could taste the sweetness of her. Joanne shivered and moaned and pushed at her panties with both of her hands. Her impatience spiked his own arousal up tenfold. Taking over he hooked his fingers under hem and pulled the fabric down. When he kneeled up Joanne lay still, eyes closed, one hand covering her breast, the other resting on her stomach while her chest was heaving fast.

Looking down on her he put his hands on her feet and leaned over to place intermittent kisses on both of her ankles before slowly working his way up along her calves, the insides of her knees and up toward her thighs. He’d never spent much time or thought on foreplay – Joanne had never seemed to need it – but now he wondered if maybe he just hadn’t paid close enough attention. She sure was enjoying herself right now. He could feel her thighs quiver under the touch of his roaming hands. 

“C’mon, c’mon,” Joanne urged in between sighs and soft moans, fuelling his burning desire. Hovering just inches above her he let his hands slide up the insides of her thighs, carefully pushing them apart. She offered no resistance, instead her hips tilted off the bed, robbing him of the last of his self control. With one long stroke of his tongue he closed the gap between them before fully immersing himself in her taste. His hands found her hips and he used a gentle grip to keep her close while he slowly but steadily licked into her, loving every whimper and sigh he elicited from her.

With every push and lick Joanne became more vocal. Nick was almost expecting somebody else’s name to fall from her lips, but all he could make out were garbled _babies_ and _yeses_. His brain had long since lost the ability to imagine another woman between Joanne’s legs but he forced himself to hold on to the thought, remembering to keep his own noises down in case she was still living out the fantasy. Glancing up he watched her grope at her own breast with one hand while the other tightly gripped the sheets by her side.

He ground his hips into the bed to relieve some of the overwhelming urge he felt for his own release. This was not about him. Closing his eyes he forced himself to stay focused on his ministrations and not getting carried away by the increasing volume of Joanne’s voice. 

He couldn’t say how long he’d been going, just that it seemed too soon for her to be tensing up already. But the twitching and trembling left little room for interpretation: Joanne was close. He continued to lick with all the vigor inside of him until the high pitched moans stopped as Joanne held her breath for a few heartbeats and then released with a shuddering noise. 

He probingly kept moving his tongue, unsure if she’d be oversensitive or would welcome a gentle descend from her high. They had done this before, but it had always just been a quick warm up and never the main event. Nick silently vowed to change that.

After a few more shallow strokes of his tongue Joanne began squirming and pushed his head away. He took that as a cue to crawl back up beside her. Her eyes were still closed, a satisfied smile gracing her lips as she tried to get her frantic breathing back under control. Nick wondered when it would be appropriate to speak, he didn't want to break the spell.

“Wow,” Joanne mumbled dreamily and then she opened her eyes to look at him. He couldn’t help but grin at her smugly. “Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked, feeling rather proud. Joanne chuckled, “Couldn’t you tell?”

Before he could retort anything stupid she reached out to his face and pulled him into a deep kiss. The way she moaned into his mouth made Nick’s head spin and when they parted for air it was his turn to pant heavily.

“That was really, really hot,” Joanne mumbled in between small kisses, “and now it’s your turn.” 

He let her roll him over onto his back and straddle him. This wouldn’t take long, he was sure. Joanne leaned forward, brushing his body in all the right places and with all the right parts, causing him to moan brokenly. “You know,” she whispered seductively, her hot breath tickling his earlobe, “You can think of her, too, if you like.”

He closed his eyes, unable and unwilling to reply. It was a sweet offer but he didn’t think he’d have to.


	5. Chapter 5

“Hey, Stokes!” A hand came down hard on his bare back, making him wince, “You comin’ to our pre game bash tonight, yeah?”

He turned, taking in Paul’s broad chest, puffed out to make him seem even bigger. “Course I’m comin’,” he muttered, straightening up his back. He blinked away the spark of temptation that popped up in his brain. He really had to stop letting that get to him. “Just makin’ sure, ‘cause I saw your little girlfriend hanging around outside. You remember it’s guys only, yeah?”

Shrugging his shoulder out of Paul’s grip he went to pull his shirt on. “She’s just hanging out on the stands,” he gritted out defensively. He hated the way his team mates kept dropping comments every time Joanne came by when he was at practice. It didn’t happen that often, she was busy with a part time job and study projects, but when she’d find the time she liked to sit and watch him play. Nick didn’t mind. In fact it distracted him from those unhealthy locker room thoughts he kept having.

“Whatever, man,” Paul cackled as he put on his own shirt. Nick swiped his tongue across his lips and pulled his cap down over his forehead. This was going to be their last practice before their first game, coach would expect them all to focus, so that’s what he would do. He slammed his locker shut with determination and made his way out to the field, where he inhaled the scent of dust and sunshine to get rid of the lingering testosterone from the locker room.

He spotted Joanne sitting cross legged on a bench. She’d brought her books but looked up at him when he made his way to the field. He gave her a small wave before turning his attention on the coach.

During their warm up laps he’d throw Joanne a smile every time he passed by her. She was great, he thought. He still didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky. She was everything he could have wished for: cute, smart and beautiful. So what was this gnawing unease he felt, telling him something was off?

-.-.-.-

Nick ran a hand through his hair, still damp from the shower, as he made his way over to where Joanne was waiting for him, reading.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a kiss to her forehead. Joanne smiled and tilted her head back for a proper kiss on the mouth. He rubbed his sweaty palms along his thighs as he sat down beside her – a nuance Joanne immediately picked up on.

“Something wrong?” she asked. Nick shook his head. “Come on,” Joanne persisted, poking a finger to his chest, “spill.”

He sighed. There was no point trying to lie to her, he shouldn’t even try. “It’s about tonight.” He frowned, avoiding her eyes, “You can’t come over later.” Joanne raised her eyebrow but stayed quiet, so Nick tried to explain the “guys only” deal to her. She nodded slowly.

“No girlfriends before the game, got it.” He couldn’t tell if what he heard was disappointment. “I gotta finish this anyway,” she said with a nod to her book. “Let’s just grab a bite and then I’ll leave you to the boys.”

Nick grinned, relief washing over him. “You’re the best,” he said and leaned in for another kiss. “I told you I wasn’t gonna be the clingy girlfriend,” Joanne shrugged and got up to pack her stuff. Nick followed suit.

“But,” she continued, drawing the word out until Nick looked up at her and then giving him a hard shoulder check. “You owe me a huge ass pizza for being so understanding.” Nick laughed and threw his arm around her shoulder. “I’ma find you the biggest pizza in all’a Texas.”

-.-.-

He shouldn’t have come. He should’ve just spent the night with Joanne, should’ve taken her out of town for some stargazing and making out in the backseat and then going back to get some shut eye before the game. He was smarter than this – two beers shy of throwing up, shirt tossed god knows where, as his team mates cheered on him and Paul arm wrestling across a table. Granted, the evening had started out fun, but he was feeling kinda woozy by now. Coach would have all their asses tomorrow.

His arm shook, his hand hurt from where Paul was squeezing too tight, his muscles were sore from exertion but he refused to give in. The clapping and shouting around him grew louder and he lost himself in the rush of the situation, everything around him a blur as he focused on his trembling arm. It could have been ten minutes or merely a half, sweat drenched and panting he had lost track of time around the same time he lost track of the number of drinks he’d had.

He felt his strength slowly fading, senses leaving his arm until the back of his hand collided with the table with a painful bang. Cheers and laughter, clapping and roaring, somebody’s hands on his back. What was he even doing?

“Don’t sweat it, Nicky, nobody ever beats Paul.” Somebody – Kevin, he realized when he turned his head – had put an arm around his shoulder and started cheerfully patting his chest. He reeked of beer and his skin was slick with sweat. And why was everybody shirtless?

The fact that his memory was already starting to get sketchy distressed him more than the skin on skin contact. He tried to laugh it off as he pushed off the table and staggered toward the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

When he was done relieving himself he stayed propped against the wall, head resting on his forearm as he took a couple of deep breaths, trying to figure out whether he was going to be sick. He wasn’t. Slowly he walked to the sink and splashed his face with cold water.

-.-.-

The sound of his own groan reverberated through his brain, making everything spin a little even though he was still lying down. He didn’t remember how he had ended up in bed but a quick glance around the room confirmed it was at least his own. His eyes caught the glowing numbers on his clock radio – shoulda set the alarm – and sat up abruptly. The game. He fought the instant wave of nausea and grabbed for a nearby water bottle to rinse the stale taste of hangover from his mouth.

“Rough night?” Devon grinned, as he entered their room in just a towel. Nick shook his head in response. “Shower free?” He asked, stumbling to collect his things in a hurry. “Yeah,” Devon replied with a cackle, “Might wanna scrub extra hard on your chest.”

“What?”

“You got a dick on your chest,” Devon laughed, gesturing in his direction. Confused, Nick glanced down at his own body and felt his heart pound in a mix of anger and anxiety. He couldn’t remember becoming a canvas for felt pen art.


	6. Chapter 6

Baseball hadn’t been his first love, even though his father had tried to instill appreciation for the sport in him from a young age on. Looking back he’d say he always preferred the more physical, rough side of football – it was also viewed as much cooler among his friends than baseball was. He never let that stop him from enjoying every single occasion when the judge would make time to take him to games or to practice pitching and catching with him behind their house. He smiled at the memories.

The smile lingered as he let his eyes roam the crowd until he spotted Joanne near the fence, looking effortlessly beautiful, wearing his aviators and one of his spare tricots that almost hung like a dress off of her small frame. She waved at him from afar and he gave her a wink. The combination of a hot shower, three cups of coffee and a proper breakfast had helped alleviate the throbbing in his head and he sent a small prayer skyward that it would be enough to get him through the game.

He wasn’t feeling a hundred percent but couldn’t afford to let it show. His career in baseball would be over before it had even begun. He could just picture the disapproval on his father’s face – it simply wasn’t an option. Squeezing his eyes shut he quickly shook the mental image away before he joined his team mates for warm up. At least he wasn’t alone in this, the others were pretty much in the same pitiful shape.

-.-.-

Nick stood, shifting to find his footing, baseball bat expertly swinging from his wrists a couple of times as he braced himself for the throw. Gripping it with both hands he leaned over and focused on the pitcher. Sweat was running down his forehead, the sun glinting in his eyes but he tried to breathe right through everything and concentrate only on the ball. He could do this, he goaded himself. When the ball came flying his way he swung and hit it with a clang. And then he ran.

The crowd cheered and suddenly he was back inside a circle of whistles and calls from his buddies as he took gulp after gulp of cold beer. His stomach grumbled at the memory and he forced himself to run faster still. His eyes frantically searched for the ball he had lost sight of. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, just as he caught a glimpse of white in the hand of an opponent player. The other guy was approaching him fast as he raced toward the base, skidding the remaining couple of feet.

He sat on the hard ground for a moment, collecting his breath, before he heaved himself up and dusted his pants off. Absentmindedly he rubbed his hand across his chest, right over the place where he’d spent five minutes scrubbing off his team mates’ crude drawing earlier. Glancing at the other guys he wondered who the ‘artist’ has been but pushed the thought away for later. If he was going to stay on the team he’d have to pull it together. He couldn’t afford distractions to compromise his game.

Nick had no idea how the managed to win the game in their demolished states, his best guess was that theirs wasn’t the only College team who liked to party in spite of a game coming up. He certainly wasn’t going to question it. Instead he let himself be gathered into the circle of guys, jumping up and down in celebration and howling out sounds of victory. It felt good and for a moment he allowed himself to overlook his negligent mistakes and just be proud of their first win.

When he managed to break away from the team he spotted Joanne coming over, going faster with every step until she broke into a jog. He ran the remaining distance to meet her and laughed when she practically jumped into his arms and attached her lips firmly to his. Nick’s arms held on right as he lifted her off the ground, kissing back happily. “You’re a sweaty mess,” Joanne complained half heartedly, hands raking through his damp hair. He grinned. “Let me grab a quick shower and I’m all yours.”

-.-.-

Community showers had never been Nick’s favorite place to be. He wasn’t shy about his body or anything, what bothered him was the sight of dicks and asses. Not that he was looking. In fact, he had his eyes closed, rinsing shampoo from his hair when something wet and stiff hit him in the face. He yelped unceremoniously and pried the offending piece of cloth from his face: somebody’s discarded undershirt.

“Yo, Stokes,” a voice laughed from the other side of the room, “Dreamin’ ‘bout the girlfriend?”

He groaned and tossed the wet shirt back to Mitch, who had apparently been the one to have thrown it first. “Jealous?” he asked, trying to look smug. The guys around him snickered.

“Pity she don’t get to see your temporary tattoo,” Mitch continued, seemingly unfazed. “Yeah, pity,” Nick countered, “Your talents are unprecedented for sure.” Mitch wriggled his eyebrows and walked past him toward the lockers.

“Dude, you really didn't remember it was him, did you?” Of course Paul was onto him about that. He clamped his hand down on Nick’s shoulder and shook his head. “You were really out of it, man. I’m surprised you performed so well today.”

Nick shrugged the compliment off his shoulder, along with Paul’s uncomfortable hand. “I’ve done worse,” he lied and went back to washing his hair so he could hide his reddening cheeks in the shower stream. For good measure he rubbed hard at his face and then rinsed off the rest of his body before he went to get his towel.

The thought of Joanne waiting outside let him endure the continuing jokes and jabs while he got dressed. “Good game, guys, see you tomorrow!” He knocked at the doorframe in a generic goodbye.

“Where you off to so fast? Can’t wait to get laid?” Mitch called after him and Nick stopped, returning at a deliberately slow pace. It was nobody’s business but Mitch seemed to want to make it his. Four steps back into the room and Nick had him backed into a locker.

“Jealous?” He repeated in a cocky voice.


	7. Chapter 7

Nick really couldn’t wait for the next semester to begin. As much fun as Devon could be, the chance of moving up the food chain and getting his own room at the frat house was a goal he had set his eyes on from week one. Having the number of siblings he had he was used to sharing living space, but he did value his privacy, especially his alone time with Joanne. Granted, Devon was a good sport and they made do, but there was always a bit of negotiating involved.

Thankfully Devon still owed him one and had scampered off before Nick and Joanne had even made it back to the house. They’d talked about the game on the way over, Joanne never ceased to amaze him with the interest she had in professional baseball, even though she didn’t play any sports herself. She probably knew enough to be able to hold her own in a conversation with his dad – and wow, that was a thought that had never crossed his mind before.

Sex hadn’t been in the front of his mind when he’d taken Joanne straight back to his room. Despite the exchange with Mitch and the load of innuendo from the guys, Nick’s main objective had simply been some alone time with her. But who was he kidding, as soon as the door closed behind them he locked it and wrapped his arms around Joanne, walking her backwards to the bed. Those lips were just irresistible and Joanne seemed to be on the same page as him all the way.

They kicked their shoes off as they went, stumbling into each other because neither was willing to remove their hands from the other’s hair. Their kisses grew frantic and even if Nick had had a plan before, it was out of the window by the time they landed on his bed in a heap of limbs. His hands found their way under Joanne’s baggy shirt – his shirt – and tickled at her skin. He loved the way it turned her kisses into breathless little gasps against his lips.

Pulling back Nick sat up long enough to get rid of his t-shirt before he resumed his position on top of Joanne.

“You’re impatient today,” she commented with a sly grin, when his arousal not so subtly pressed between her parted legs. She spread them further and rolled up her hips. “Look who’s talkin’” Nick drawled back and earned himself a wink. He slid his hands up Joanne’s bare legs until he reached the seam line of her shorts and teasingly crept under them so he could grab her ass.

Joanne bit her lip and closed her eyes. “You’re so damn beautiful,” Nick gushed and squeezed the back of her thigh before moving his hand to the front of her shorts.

“May I?” he asked, his fingers already busy with the top button. Instead of answering Joanne grabbed his hand in hers and guided him beneath the garment. He felt her wetness slick his fingertips as she pressed herself up into the touch. “Holy shit,” he whispered breathlessly.

He gently moved his fingers around in small circles, the way she’d taught him to, to the sound of Joanne’s quiet moans. She removed her hand from his and worked her zipper open, pushing her shorts down her hips. Reluctantly Nick pulled his hand away to assist her, kneeling back on his heels so he could slide them off all the way and drop them to the floor. Seizing the moment he continued with his own remaining clothes.

Leaning down he pressed his lips into the juncture of her legs and kissed a narrow path up towards her belly button, sliding the shirt up her body along the way. He was more than ready to just dive in, but he wouldn’t do that, not until he’d made sure Joanne was ready – which judging from her heavy breathing she was. Slowly he brought his hand back between her legs and gently teased. Meeting no resistance he let a finger slide inside.

He loved how expressive Joanne was in bed, never afraid to guide him and to show him what she liked. And then there were the sounds she made. And then there were the sounds she made. He’d slept with girls who had been loud, but somehow that had always felt more like an act. Joanne’s moans were genuine, not something she did for his sake. She seemed to get lost in her pleasure so easily, like there was nothing but the sensation of their bodies becoming one. Nick often found he envied her, his brain never seemed to shut off enough for that.

“Come up here,” Joanne’s voice cut through his thoughts, making him look up. “I like it down here,” he quipped before he found himself following her request nonetheless. Her hands cupped his cheeks and pulled his face against hers until they were kissing again. The combination of his tongue in her mouth and his hand between her parted thighs had Nick so hard he was afraid he’s come prematurely. He could barely refrain from voicing that thought – he was lucky his mouth was preoccupied.

That’s when Joanne wrapped her hand around him, making him see stars. “Baby,” he mumbled against her lips, “God, yes, please.” He was nowhere near eloquent but couldn’t bring himself to care. Joanne stroked him expertly – slow and steady, driving him crazy, and then she stopped and put her hand on his wrist instead. She held on tight, waiting for him to still his movements and look at her.

“I want you,” she growled and Nick had to bite down hard on his lower lip to stop himself from spilling.

Scrambling to the edge of the bed he opened the drawer of his bedside table to rummage for a condom. When he turned Joanne sat up and regarded him with a feral grin. She held her hand out for the little foil package and nodded to the bed.

“Lie down, cowboy.” Nick’s heart hammered in excitement when he complied and Joanne quickly climbed on top of him. He felt her brush against his erection when she leaned forward and braced herself on her arms above him. “Are you ready, baby?” she teased.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down, her wetness slicking the underside of his dick and all he could muster was a drawn out “Yes.” Joanne sat up, her weight pressing down on Nick and he didn’t think he could get any harder than this. The fabric of her shirt fell loosely around her and she etched it up her thighs teasingly, exposing more and more of her body. Just as she reached her chest and got ready to remove it completely aimed for her wrists to stop her.

“Leave it on.”

She looked surprised but let the hemline drop back down. Nick groaned when Joanne pushed away from him. His hands started drawing impatient patterns across her thighs to keep him from grabbing her and diving right home. He watched her fingers as they took their sweet time to open the wrapper Joanne was still holding. He could tell from the look on her face that she was just as excited as he was, but knew she’d enjoy teasing him some more anyway.

“Need help with that?” he offered playfully, when Joanne twisted the condom back and forth in her hands as if trying to decide which way was up and down.

“Hmm, I think I can figure it out,” she countered, even though they both knew full well she knew exactly how to use these things. Nick chuckled in spite of his painful impatience until Joanne finally took pity on him. She prepped him and positioned herself above him, holding his gaze.

“Ready for the ride?” She winked.


End file.
